


Their Belated Beginning

by galacticprince



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Biting, Frottage, Hubert is here and wants to murder your dad, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:35:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galacticprince/pseuds/galacticprince
Summary: With the empire beginning to rebuild itself, the newly coupled Hubert and Ferdinand barely get to spend time with each other as they each work endlessly for months on end. As things start to settle, it allows them to spend some much needed time alone together.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir & Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 8
Kudos: 81





	Their Belated Beginning

In starting this courtship with the ever-so charismatic Ferdinand von Aegir, Hubert is both happy and yet a horribly anxious mess. These scenarios and feelings are all new to him, something he could not prepare for, which is just unspeakable to him. Since childhood this man had to plot out every single minute detail for completing any task whether it be well done espionage to even helping Bernadetta find her precarious plants for when she cannot gather her wits to venture out on her own. He has now established a trusted importing dealer just for this express purpose, these are the levels of planning and organization he has to have. So to have his own mind and feelings betray his much needed calculative nature is nerve wracking.

He is hardly a sheltered person, he had to gather information for blackmail purposes from a young age on nobles within the empire for his father, then later his own purposes. He learned and witnessed a litany of vulgarities from a young age, this shouldn't be so taxing to him, so why,  _ why  _ does a heartfelt smile and a squeeze of a hand from him send his mind reeling? He could only surmise that spending his entire teenage years plotting and preparing to help Her Majesty usurp the throne to regain her familial power over the Empire and topple a continental cult that was the church didn't help him for when he finally got in a relationship at 25. He honestly never imagined he would ever be in one, he knew his reputation, and being from a once noble family only to burn all of it to the ground wasn't exactly what many sought for in a political marriage either.

Yet it was the man he detested most of his life who caught his eye; he replays the moment in his mind over and over again, having been injured in a battle during the war by being knocked out from a bash from a cavalry's shield to the head. He could not tell you how long he was out, but he remembers coming to, feeling himself being shaken by a frantic Ferdinand shouting at him to please wake up. When he opened his eyes, he saw a distraught face staring down at him. For a brief moment in his concussed haze, he began to doubt his atheistic views, the sun shining down behind Ferdinand, making the curtain of red hair all but glow as if it was a halo around him, he was ethereal, too beautiful to be mortal. As he slowly started to get a grasp on reality, he watched Ferdinand's face go from panic to relief, pulling him into a tight embrace, telling Hubert how scared he was that he didn’t get to him in time. The battle was over, Hubert seeing from over Ferdinand's shoulder the dead soldier who attacked him. He saved him. In his battered state, he rested his head against him, and began to realize what that gnawing feeling inside of him was for this man for years, it wasn't hate. It was serendipitous, feeling himself hoisted up in his strong arms as Ferdinand put him on his horse to take him to camp for medical treatment, practically cradled between his arms as he snapped at the reigns, leaning against him, even the cool feeling of the metal armor at his back felt comforting. He loved him.

It was bittersweet. Hubert came to this realization, but was absolutely certain these feelings would never be reciprocated. How could he? Despite his pride in his work, he still had a streak of self loathing, which he took for self awareness. He saw himself as stained, a necessary evil from the last remnants of the old world they sought to destroy. Who would willingly take his hand, knowing how much blood covered it? It's not like everything will vanish at the end of the war either, not with vengeful people of the old guard coming after Her Majesty or with his own personal conquest to destroy those who harmed her and slaughtered all of her siblings in their disgusting experiments. When everyone is at peace, he will still continue to kill. Despite Ferdinand demanding insistence for him to not fall asleep, still worried for his condition, he wanted nothing more than to just to close his eyes and smother these unearthed emotions, pretend they weren't there, to save him at least a little bit of dignity.

It was hard though, as they continued to work together in the war, he couldn't make them go away, only becoming more difficult as they started to grow closer as friends, something he would have never imagined just a few years prior. The yearning only gave way to dreams and imaginations of being together, which felt like his mind mocking him for daring to feel for another person.  _ Who'd want you? ,  _ his mind would always chant at him. Despite wanting to keep what friendship they had cultivated after years of fighting, it also felt like daggers in his chest when he'd say something or looked at him a certain way, giving him a millisecond of feelings only for hours of crushing despair of reminders.

So, you could only imagine his surprise, one day after the war, still in the early days of preparing to run the empire together as Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, they had their now routine tea and coffee break, a small reprieve for them both. Ferdinand, who was always the one who led the conversations or even just gave him an hour long speech about something he was excited about that day, was unusually quiet. He never was one for subtlety, even in his silence, he was still an open book, his face giving away he was clearly fretting about something. Hubert wanted to ask what was wrong, but also didn't want to pry, who knows, maybe he needed this silent meeting.

Finally, Ferdinand looked up, his face both brazen yet nervous, “Hubert! I...” his voice trailed off, as if having second thoughts, but frowned and pushed on, “I have something I need to tell you,”

Hubert raised a inquisitive brow as he sipped from his cup, utterly clueless, “Go on,” he said. He was certain it was something outlandish for the empire's reform that even he knew couldn't work, but wanted to suggest anyway, this has happened more than once.

Ferdinand took a sharp intake of breath through his nose, “I feel like I have to address this, as to not make things difficult in the future, but I...” his voice trailed off once more, his hands tightening into fists as he gathered his resolve, “I have... feelings for you, Hubert.” What. “I completely understand this is not what you see in me, but I don't want this to ruin our friendship, so I just...” he was looking down, dejected, steeling himself for what seemed to be the inevitable.

Hubert just stared forward, his world screeching to a halt. He was in utter shock, his grip on his mug going slack, slipping from his hand and cracking on the table as it spilled over, having no reaction to the mess at all.

It was the absolute wrong reaction for Ferdinand, who closed his eyes and quickly stood up, “I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said anything,” he said, turning to run off.

Hubert abruptly stood up, everything on the table toppling over and grabbed his wrist, yanking him over to his side of the table, hearing the loud gasp from him as he wrapped his arm around him tightly. He was quiet. He was so overcome with emotion he couldn't speak, he just held him and buried his face in his long mane of hair.

Ferdinand's fingers gripped at his coat, momentarily stunned himself, before asking, “You... actually feel the same way?”

“More than you ever know,” Hubert replied in a hushed tone.

He felt Ferdinand's head tilt upwards to look at him, his amber eyes glassy as he strained to hold back the tears, his hand reaching up and stroked the side of his face, his fingers tracing along his cheekbone before leaning up and pressed his lip against Hubert's. Something that seemed so unattainable, something he had long walled himself off to, was in his arms, willing and wanting.

He never mentioned to Ferdinand that was his first proper kiss, he'd rather save himself that kind of embarrassment, even if he knew Ferdinand would be over the moon with excitement hearing that. There had been moments in the past where he had to go to 'certain lengths' to get what he needed for intelligence, but it was meaningless to him, just another aspect of a job, it felt mechanical. So it was nice, finally being able to do it and actually enjoy it.

It has been six months since that day. The reformation of Fodlan under Empire rule is still in its infancy, but it has made strides since then due to everyone's tireless work, including diplomatic relations between other countries. Petra returned to her country once the war was over to reclaim her homeland, Edelgard stood by her word and gave Brigid its independence back. Working together with her to not only repair relations between the two nations, but surrounding smaller countries like Dagda, Sreng, and even Almyra with Claude also leaving Fodlan after everything. The world was growing for them, no longer was Fodlan the entire Earth with vague offshoots of land nearby. With the church's power over the land gone, no longer was it necessary to isolate from everyone who didn't worship at the false prophet's altar.

Only people within their inner circle of acquaintances know of their relationship, as it'd be impossible for Ferdinand to keep this entirely a secret. Edelgard and Bernadetta were both congratulatory to him, Her Majesty very smug in her inkling being true, as was Byleth, but being, well,  _ herself _ , she gave him a placid smile and a small, “I'm happy for you,” to him. Since gaining actual autonomy over her own body after the war, she was slowly becoming more outgoing, no longer being just a vessel for someone to take whenever they saw fit, but an actual person. He cannot fault her, especially when she made his closest friend so happy.

As he gathered from Bernadetta, once the news broke, Caspar apparently went broke doling out his money to Linhardt and Dorothea, collecting on years old bets. “I thought Hubert was straight!” he cried, which made both of the victors burst out laughing. He wasn't sure how to feel about being that obvious to certain people. When asked if she took part in it, she shook her head and said, “No way! That means I'd have to go outside my room and pay attention to people! Bernie needs Bernie time,” which, hard to argue. She had completely relinquished her family's land and excess wealth to the empire, much to her father's rage, but Hubert made it very clear to him that he was no longer  _ Count  _ Varley, and he'd personally see to it that if he wasn't quiet in exile like the disgusting little man he was,  _ he'd  _ meet similar fate as did all the other former political heads who didn't fall in line to the new order. It was only by Bernadetta's lingering familial guilt in taking care of the old man, even if it just meant having him in a cabin far out in the countryside and getting necessary supplies to live without having to speak to him, that he lived. If he had it his way, that quaint little cabin would have been burnt to the ground the moment she looked the other way. Bernadetta has taken residence on the edge of Enbarr, a small little townhouse where she hides most days, beyond ecstatic she doesn't have to interact with people at home, but has made great strides in overcoming her anxiety and does venture out from time to time.

As for the rest of their merry gang of misfits, Dorothea popped in and out of Fodlan sporadically, following Petra to Brigid and becoming an ambassador for her. Linhardt and Caspar traveled the continents, Caspar merely tagged along and acted as a 'bodyguard' to Linhardt, who acted as a traveling scholar in crest research for their old Professor Hanneman, both being funded by the empire to see if they can remove crests from a living person safely, namely for Her Majesty and Lysithea, aiding in the research herself with the old professor. She was recruited in their house early on per Hubert's insistence during their academy days. He told Byleth it was simply for her prowess in black magic, but he first saw her, it was like he was stabbed in the chest, immediately seeing a younger Edelgard, recognizing instantly she was the same as her. It would be easier for him to keep a watchful eye out for her if she were on their side and knew Edelgard felt the same as he did. Even if she was a total stranger, both of them would know her struggles better than anyone in her former house, and possibly be of help. While Hubert and her never became very close, more respected peers to one another as being some of the few black magic users, it was Edelgard who took to her quickly. Some people assume she is one of the Hresvelg siblings, another surviving child who may have been in hiding due to poor health, with how she was doted on by the emperor and their unique appearances.

Lastly, that leaves the Prime Minister himself, Ferdinand von Aegir. As he is constantly working himself to the bone with everyone else, he has taken residence within the imperial palace. The family manor still stands with his mother and sisters living in it, though his family's land and assets were largely liquidated during the initial upheaval of the revolution due to his father's wretchedness. It is only by Ferdinand's good grace that he lived as long as he did, dying near the end of the war under house arrest. Hubert comforted Ferdinand when he learned of the news, who was horribly conflicted with his feelings of loss over that scum, gradually learning throughout the war what all his father had a hand in during the Insurrection. Hubert was a little sad too, it wasn't anything he did that led to that man's death, merely a life of excess finally catching up to him. Shame, he really was planning on poisoning him, he even had it all lined up on which one to use for the maximum effect of suffering yet without detection. Of course, neither Ferdinand nor Edelgard knew of this, some tend to frown upon murder, but if he learned anything in life, sometimes the best way to scratch the itch of burning hatred and ire, someone needs to die for it. When he was 16, he considered learning faith based magic, fantasizing bringing that pig to the cusp of death only to heal him, and doing it again, and again, and  _ again _ , for each and everyone of Edelgard's siblings who died horribly, and for all of her suffering as well. He had no aptitude for it, so Duke Aegir was spared from his wrath in the end.

As far as public relations went, Ferdinand was the star in their court, his passion and enthusiasm working wonders for diplomacy issues and his noble upbringing allowed him to easily calm down many of the old guard of the empire who still squabbled over what little they had. They would try to go to Hubert for such matters, but quickly learned going to him will lead them nowhere, potentially even becoming worse off and silenced from some leftover blackmail he remembered from his younger years. Many of them had no idea he was posing as a errand boy or servant in their homes, his father never really being the public type made it that many had no idea who Hubert was or what he looked like, so his gangling figure as a boy made him fit right in with their impoverished workers. He will occasionally drop some of those horrible tidbits to Ferdinand if he knows who he is meeting with that day, which was always fun to watch seeing how scandalized he became learning of such vulgarities from men he thought of the pinnacle of society when he was younger.

Hubert resides in the palace himself now, never setting foot in his old family's home in Enbarr after his father and his... “disagreement” over Her Majesty's manifesto right before her secret coronation to make sure there was no interruption. One would think that meant the two would take full advantage sharing residency together, but both of them were always stretched so thin by their own self imposed standards, they can barely look at each other before passing out. It was not uncommon for Hubert to wake up at his desk in the early morning hours not even realizing he fell asleep. There has been a time he has woken up with a blanket draped over him, instantly telling it was from Ferdinand from its smell. It was touching, but utterly mortifying for him to be seen in such a compromised position and not even stir in rest. He would later feign ignorance where the gifted blanket went, rather dying than admit to keeping it like a love struck teenager.

Not necessarily for their relationship, but for their health, as it was clear some days they'd look terrible by this half year mark of nonstop work, Hubert somehow managing to lose weight from foregoing meals, Edelgard saw to it to hire them a swath of people to handle a variety of the menial parts of their job. They were finally in a position where more outside help could be implemented as the chaos began to settle, sure they had maybe one or two trusted employees they appointed themselves, but it was clearly not enough and they were picking up the slack. Ferdinand took to the leader position of the team with gusto, meanwhile Hubert asked Edelgard probably a 100 questions on how they were vetted, did you look into their history? Could they be trusted? How well versed were in poison and know what not to touch in his office? No, he would tell her where they are, there may be someone listening, he needs someone with that informed knowledge, also she may try to take them away.

In the end, there was a brief stint of Hubert still overworking himself, now overseeing every worker that was tasked to help him with paperwork, meanwhile employing his former spies he had during the war look into all of these people, which was very distressing since they were being taken off of his secret project of destroying Those Who Slither In The Dark in which  _ no one  _ could see the paperwork for in the palace. Paranoia is a close friend of his even now when everything is supposed to be at peace, it's a wonder he hasn't lost his mind from stress.

After everyone Edelgard hired for him checked out as she insisted they would and once his pieces started falling back into place, but with more efficiency in all fields, he was left with the foreign concept to him of spare time. All the more peculiar to him is spending it with a partner, who was eager to actually do something with their love life. They made their confessions months ago, but they've barely done anything together outside of work, a few stray kisses after afternoon tea, wandering into one another's offices at night to harp on the other to rest, roles always reversing.

Though it was a scenario just like that, Ferdinand gave a small knock on the office door to his office, waiting for Hubert's permission to enter. He knew better than to surprise him, Caspar serving as a wonderful example in their youth by thinking it'd be hilarious to shout good morning to Hubert to wake him up. All Ferdinand heard was, “GOOD M– AAAAH!!” and rushed to the tent to see Hubert on top of him with a knife raised above his head.

“Hubie, you're supposed to be taking it easy now,” Ferdinand teased as he slowly waltzed to his desk as the darkly clad man continued to read over documents.

“Oh, but I am, I now have time to focus on more things that need completed,” he idly replied, paper still in hand as he raised a glass of coffee to his lips to drink.

Ferdinand sighed through his nose, cupping his hand over the top of the mug, “Relaxing doesn't mean staying up all night and working more on something else,” he said, receiving a small annoyed noise from him, “Come on, it's freezing in here, let's get you to a warm bed,”

Hubert listened, closing his eyes momentarily as he gave the hand blocking his drink a small kiss, “What if I want to still be in your company?” he asked softly.

Ferdinand smiled and brushed his hair behind his ear nervously, “Well... you can have both, you know,” he suggested. You'd think they would have already shared a bedroom together, but building an empire doesn't exactly give much time for proper courtship, plus they also have very different schedules, Hubert operating more at night and Ferdinand delegating in the day. An opportunity never presented itself where Ferdinand could say something like that and he knew very well Hubert wasn't going to be the one to do it, always so apprehensive to introduce anything new to their relationship.

Hubert blinked a few times, surprised by his answer, the momentary pause making Ferdinand afraid he overstepped a boundary, but was relieved when a small smile came to his face, “I'm sure that could be arranged,” he said, setting the drink down. He supposed he can toss it out in the morning, who knows, it may be a fun test to see if an employee will try to poison him or not. “Your room though,” he said, standing up from his chair.

Ferdinand gave a cheerful laugh, “why mine in particular?” he asked, taking his hand as he led the two of them out of the office, giving a quick blow to the candle illuminating the desk before leaving.

“Less hazard for you,” Hubert simply answered.

“What, do you sleep with several knives?” he joked, but when he didn't get an answer, he shook his head, “oh, Hubert, how many?”

“In proximity to the bed or in the room?” Hubert asked back.

“You don't have to be so paranoid, no one here will hurt you,” Ferdinand assured.

It gave Hubert pause as he reflected on the fact he never had slept in a place where he felt entirely safe before; certainly not at the home he was raised in, at the odd places he was sent to spy, or the academy. He gave his partner's hand a squeeze, honestly feeling anxious by the fact he wasn't supposed to be, being raised to always act like there was someone behind you with a blade pressing into your back, waiting for you to drop your guard and have it plunge in. When constant danger was your norm, safety felt almost wrong, that there had to be something lurking just beyond the bend.

“Besides, you have me if you need something to protect you,” Ferdinand added as they reached his room, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Hubert smiled, quietly laughing, “I'll keep that in mind,” he said, honestly touched by the sentiment, but it was hard for him to say something without it coming out as sarcastic.

“What, you don't think I can? I'm not entirely out of shape from my cavalry days, I'll have you know,” he boasted, letting go of Hubert's hand and effortlessly scooped the flailing man up into his arms, laughing, “I didn't realize how light you were! Is this how you can walk so quietly?” he teased with a wide grin.

Hubert clung to his shirt once situated in his arms, blushing furiously and frazzled entirely, both from the embarrassment and the sudden ascension in height. He never told anyone that little fear of his, once in a confessional at the academy as a way to pass the time, only to be surprised when Byleth wrote a response guessing the correct answer and knowing the anonymous note was from him. For all of her stoicism, she was quite astute in reading people. The thought of the fall is what unnerves him the most, but thankfully was placed delicately on the bed, which did wonders to ease his nerves. Ferdinand tugged off his boots for him and set them on the ground before starting to undress from his day wear to more comfortable clothing, Hubert knowing he should be doing the same, but was completely distracted watching him. Only when Ferdinand turned his head did he duck his own and started fussing with the buttons on his overcoat. The palace was very old and offered little reprieve from the temperature outside. The fireplace in the room made it manageable, the exhaustion starting to hit him as he grew more and more comfortable, folding the coat neatly before tossing onto a nearby chair. As with everything to do with Ferdinand von Aegir, the room was over the top in decoration, all of the upholstery matching his sheets to even the color of a rug on the floor. He was certain if it was a warmer month, there would be flowers as well.

He tucked himself under the covers, shivering at the feel of the cool fabric that chilled him even through his dress shirt he wore, but it was short lived as Ferdinand got under the covers as well, the man practically a human furnace.

The freckled redhead gave him a smile and scooted closer, “see? Much better than toiling away at paperwork all night,”

Hubert shifted to get more comfortable, lying on his side to look at Ferdinand. He was going to say something, as he moved around, but as his foot made contact against the other's skin, he watched as he jolted.

“Ah! How are you so cold, you were just wearing leather boots!” Ferdinand whined, reaching under the covers and grabbed his hands, wearing concerned frown as he looked down, “and you're still wearing gloves and they're cold! Come here,” he said, reaching around and pulling the other man close against him, his hand running down his back, feeling his vertebrae beneath the starch white shirt, “Starting tomorrow, I'll see to it that you eat more, no wonder you're so cold,” he commented.

Hubert tried to quell his screaming mind as he went from zero to hundred in terms of close proximity to him, their chests pressed against each other. Of course they've been close to each other before, but not like this. Normally they were standing and had a lot more layers of thick clothing of conducting business, their contact together having to be brief between meetings, they never had time to be like this. His hand was squished against his stomach, feeling the toned muscles underneath the skin, making his heart flutter. He knew he still rode horseback frequently, even helping knights train their squires in combat while riding, after all, he was a general and the best in their army in the field. His mind wondered how the rest felt, not removing his hand from between them as it slowly went upward, feeling him shiver all while Hubert enjoyed each inch he felt before his cool hand grasped the swell of his breast.

“We'll never fall asleep if we can't keep our hands from wandering,” Ferdinand commented, his fingers slowly kneading the knots in Hubert's back, which in itself felt heavenly, being hunched over a desk for months was not ideal for one's posture.

“Are you wanting to stop?” he asked, his eyes looking directly in those lovely amber hues, feeling himself hold his breath as Ferdinand's face came closer.

“Not in the slightest,” he whispered a mere inch away from his mouth, before closing his eyes as he pressed their lips together.

Hubert never realized how desperately he wanted this, unabated time with him, no ducking behind corners to steal quick kisses and affections, no empty conference rooms just to spend ten unseen minutes together before they both had to run off in different directions. They kissed each other repetitively, slowly, relishing each other's taste. Goosebumps rose on his skin as Ferdinand's nails lightly ran from up his back, the back of his neck, and up to his scalp before his fingers became entangled in the mass of black curls. He used this hold on him as his tongue ran over his lips before entering his mouth, Hubert not even having time to feel shy from the utterly needy noise that came from him, before feeling Ferdinand roll on top of him. His heart pounded in his chest, feeling smothered by him, and wouldn't have it any other way. He still has his hold on the back of his head, ensnaring him entirely, their kissing never stopping as he licked into his mouth.

After a few minutes, Ferdinand finally pulled back, both of them gasping for air. He perched up on one of his arms and studied the man underneath him; face completely flushed, panting, looking up at him in a dazed expression, and that neatly kept hair of his a complete mess. He licked his lips, smiling keenly, “Oh how I wish I could always have you like,” he said, laughing seeing him frown and his eyes dart a different direction, “have you ever been with someone like this before?”

“I have, though never in an enjoyable sense,” Hubert relied. When the look of concern crossed his face, he sighed through his nose as he looked upwards. Well, it's not like he can pull these tricks anymore now that people have a face to his name, might as well share, “Nothing that dreadful. Sometimes the easiest way into an affluent man's home was to find the most pent up son and give him the slightest bit of attention,” he explained.

A wide grin came across Ferdinand's face, reaching down and pinched him, “Hubert von Vestra, you  _ devil _ ,” he teased, earning a chuckle from him.

“Oh, I'm the devil? Half the time they wanted me out the moment they were finished, I had to stroke their egos to get to stay until they fell asleep,” he said, “ _ Oh, but I can't feel my legs, may I rest a little bit longer? _ ” he said in mock exasperation, happy to hear his partner burst out laughing, “I kept my promise, they wanted me out by sunrise, so I would wait until they slept, then did whatever I was tasked to do,”

“I don't think I could ever do that with someone I had no interest in,” Ferdinand commented, “how did a vixen like you make it convincing for them?” he asked curiously.

“I pretended it was you,” Hubert said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world, enjoying that it was the other man's turn to become bashful.

“How... long have you been doing that? You couldn't have been doing this during the war,” he asked in a soft voice.

“Since before enrolling in the officer's academy. It infuriated me how easy it was for my imagination to replace whatever nuisance I was with that night with you. I hated how much I was attracted to you, at the time I just chalked it up to your effortless beauty – part of the reason I was so cruel to you during those days,” he explained, feeling a sense of serenity confessing these years old secrets whilst being underneath his heavy weight and the curtain of red hair shading him. He'd do anything to give what he wanted, for this moment to never end. He reached up and curled a lock of that silky hair around his finger, bringing it to his mouth as he may properly feel its wondrous texture. “When you started to grow into the man you are today, I knew it was more than your pretty face I adored, I was completely enraptured with you, it's still hard to believe I'm even here with you now, I was absolutely certain you'd find me repulsive in that manner...”

He was caught off guard as Ferdinand came crashing down on him again, gasping as he gave him a smoldering kiss, melting as his warm hand stroked the side of his face. When he pulled back, Ferdinand almost looked like he was on the verge of tears, “you cared for me for so long, and I never noticed,” he said, then gave a sad smile, “for two of the most esteemed minds in our campaign, we're both total idiots. Why do you think I picked so many fights with you myself? I was like a child teasing another since I didn't know how to begin to understand or express how I felt,” Seeing his shocked expression, he laugh again, pressing his forehead again the other's, “we wasted so much time we could have spent together, it's unfair,” he said wistfully.

Hubert closed his eyes, smiling, “As they say, no time better than the present. Maybe it was a good thing for Her Majesty to give us aid, to let us spend time together finally...” he commented, his eyes quickly opening again as he felt two of Ferdinand's fingers slip underneath one of his gloves.

“May I?” he asked, “I've never seen you but from the neck up since we were children,”

As silly as it may sound, it was almost like Ferdinand was asking if he could yank off his pants in his mind with how self conscious he has become over his hands. While his dark arts equal Lysithea knew moderation in dealing with sort of magic, he was reckless in its use, even more so in the war, “You may, but... it won't exactly be pleasant looking,” he cautioned. As the thick cotton glove was peeled off, his blackened skin was revealed. His hands were as dark as coal, once the glove was gone, you could see how it went down past the edge of his sleeve, the discoloration almost reaching his elbows, though it faded in color as it traveled upward in shades of purple.

“Does it hurt?” he asked carefully, his thumb running against his palm.

Hubert suffered from extensive nerve damage, while not constant, it felt as if his hands had thousands of needles stabbing at him all at once or a strike of Thoron surged through his fingers. This was information, however, Ferdinand didn't need to know, “Not really, only when I overdo it in casting darker forms of magic,” he lied. When he looked at them, he instantly thought of gangrenous limbs rotting. When he was younger, he covered himself entirely in a sense of solidarity to Edelgard. If she couldn't show her body after her return from Arundel, then neither shall he. Now, the feared and inhumane Minister Vestra hides his body out of the most human feeling of all; shame. Other than Edelgard, the only other person who knows of this is Linhardt, who has seen it while treating wounds. Thankfully, he was entirely unimpressed and just called him stupid for letting it get as bad as it is.

Ferdinand stared down at it quietly, which made him entirely too nervous, before smiling again, letting a tiny chuckle, “only you would find a way to turn your skin inky black,” he joked, “I think it's pretty, it fits you,” he said, earning a grim laugh from Hubert.

“Tainted by unholy forces suits me now?” he asked.

Ferdinand brought the hand up to his lip and gave it a kiss to the palm of the hand, “We all have our scars from the war, it's no worse than mine, I'll show you,” he let go of his hand, moving up so he was straddling his hips, grabbing the ends of his shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the side. He shook his head slightly to resituate his hair, looking down and trying not to laugh at Hubert's wide eyes gawking up at him, his face beet red. His tanned flesh had dozens of small scars scattered across his body, a few on his arms more severe. “See?”

The immediate thought that went through Hubert's mind was  _ I am unworthy  _ as he stared up at this Adonis of a man. He was almost certain if he were to touch him, he would be set ablaze for defiling such a holy figure, and yet, he thought, what better way to die. He reached up and grasped his waist, his thumb tracing along a scar, “I hardly see how these are comparable, but if you want to give me more of a reference, then by all means,” he said with a grin.

Ferdinand made a tiny squeal as he touched him, “How are you still so cold!” he whined. When he felt the hand start to move away, he quickly put his hand on top of his, “I didn't say stop touching me though,” he pouted.

Hubert chuckled, his other hand reaching up and properly surveying the stomach muscles he tried to before, admiring feeling them clench from the contact of his cold skin. Hearing the small noise the man above him made as he caressed him, his hands started to travel up, sitting up as he grasped his prominent pectorals. He wanted to watch as his face light up as he squeezed, letting out a breathy moan, grinning widely at the reaction. “You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that, you're quite the tease when you force yourself to wear too small of tops,” he mused out, “I wonder just how many measures have been passed while you distracted me,”

“Oh, don't tell me that, now you've just made those fun little fights we have so much easier,” Ferdinand said leaning in and kissing him again. He clumsily worked on trying to unbutton Hubert's shirt, but he certainly wasn't helping, his bare hand squeezing at his chest still before pinching his nipple, the other stroking down his back, it all made his head spin. He frowned hearing Hubert laugh at him when he broke the kiss momentarily as he let out another groan. He still had that hard headed competitive streak in him, “oh yeah?” he muttered, finishing his task, his arms immediately wrapping around him underneath the shirt. His head dove down to Hubert's neck and bit down. He was happy to hear his hunch on his partner's preferences was correct, hearing the sharp gasp and feeling his hands shake as he sucked and licked at the skin, making sure it was just above where he knew his shirt collars ended. Further tormenting his lover, he rolled his hips over the thing poking at him, relishing in the strangled noise he made.

“Oh Ferdie...” he moaned, a pet name he so very rarely used yet always made his heart sing.

“Want to take this further?” Ferdinand asked, pulling back to look him in the eye.

“Please,” he said, sounding as if all strength left him.

Ferdinand, who was clearly too excited to act all suave and sexy, clapped his hands together as he leaned over to his nightstand and rifled through the drawer before finding the vial of oil.

“I'm almost surprised you keep this at the ready,” Hubert commented.

“Well, if you came to visit me more often, I wouldn't have to use it by myself,” Ferdinand teased, letting his imagination do the work for him in what that entailed. While there were boundless possibilities they could do, he was very impatient at the moment now that he got the go ahead to carry out something he's been fantasizing about for years. He unlaced the loose fitting pants he changed into earlier for bed, letting out a relieved sigh as he slipped out his dick. He didn't leave Hubert much time to ogle as his hands went to undoing his pants, “May I?” he asked, waiting for the nod of approval before yanking his pants down just far enough to expose him. Part of him wished he was a more patient man at the moment seeing his partner indecent for the first time, but he also knew both of them losing all of their clothes in the dead of winter in a drafty old castle would not be fun once their activities were over.

He uncorked the small bottle and poured the liquid in his palm, setting it next to Hubert's side, “We'll keep things simple tonight, we'll get each other ready, okay?” he said, giving him a quick kiss before grasping at his hard dick, moving his hand slowly as to not immediately overwhelm him.

Hubert breathed out heavily, having to force himself to focus and not lose himself so easily in his hold, but Goddess it was hard, moving his hand in just the right way that made his mind just go blank. He bit the tip of his remaining glove by the finger and removed it from his other hand, knowing that cotton and oil wouldn't exactly mix well. He grabbed the bottle, gasping as Ferdinand's grip tightened when he picked it up, nearly dropping and spilling it as a jolt of pleasure surged through him.

He made a pathetic attempt to glare, Ferdinand laughing sheepishly, “I – got excited, sorry,” he confessed.

It was difficult to stay mad at that, Hubert cautiously poured the oil on his own palm, making sure to put the lid back on before reaching out, hesitating for a moment. They've been together for half a year and yet he is still expecting himself to wake up, it almost didn't seem real. His long fingers curled around him, feeling him shudder as he began to move his hand. He honestly would be perfectly satisfied staying like this, Ferdinand sitting just below his lap, having the perfect view of his eyes fluttering shut and his chest rise and fall, every breath coming out accompanied with a moan.

It seemed, however, he had other plans, his other hand pressing lightly on Hubert's chest, guiding him to lie down on his back. He let him go, smiling hearing the small displeased noise he made in response, “Patience,” he tutted, his clean hand pressed against the mattress as he lined himself up above the other man, Hubert only letting go as he realized what he was doing, pressing his dick against his own, “A-ah, keep your hand down there, have it be a guide,” he requested, biting his bottom lip feeling those long fingers hold him once more. As he thrust forward experimentally, the two groaned in unison, instinct soon taking hold as he continued to rut against him.

“F-Fuck,” Hubert choked out, raising his hips off the mattress, so desperately craving the friction.

Ferdinand's original intention was to take it slow, but it was clear as Hubert clawed at his back, only for that hand to reach at the back of his head and shove him down to one of the filthiest kisses he's ever had, that it wasn't an option. He pulled back to breathe, a line of spit dripping from their tongues, he let out a long moan, “Oh, Hubert... a-ah, you don't know how long I've wanted you,” he began to babble, “G-Goddess, you're so perfect, I love you, I love you...” he chanted.

Hubert's hand tightened its grip, Ferdinand letting out a loud moan before Hubert crashed his lips with his again, muffling the cry. He pulled back after a moment, his breath haggard, “You'll wake up the whole palace,” he hissed, all intimidation thrown out the window seeing that flushed face of his looking back at him.

Ferdinand leaned down and clumsily licked his lips, panting, “You just feel so good against me right now, I can't h-help it,” he said.

Hubert pressed his lips together as he tried to keep himself quiet, rolling his head as he breathed out heavily, “Oh, fuck me, please, don't stop,” he found himself whimpering out, growing closer to the edge, tugging at Ferdinand's hair.

Ferdinand quickly discovered just how much he enjoyed that, his hips grinding down on him as he moved, “S-So close, so close, Hubert, I – I – ” he ducked down and roughly bit down on his shoulder to muffle his cry as he came.

With the sudden pain, it was Hubert who let out the loud moan as the teeth sinking into him hard enough to draw blood made him finish, clinging onto Ferdinand for dear life it seemed. He pressed his forehead against the chest above him, breathing heavily, the world almost a blur around him as he slowly started to climb down from his high.

After a few minutes of labored breathing from the two of them, Ferdinand quietly began to giggle, “ _ You'll wake up the whole palace, Ferdinand, _ ” he said in a mock tone, “ _ only I get to scream when I –  _ “ he was cut off with a squeal of laughter as Hubert jabbed him in the side, being horribly ticklish.

“You're lucky you're cute,” he grumbled, still not showing his face.

Only when Ferdinand moved up could he see how red he was in the face, positively mortified at the noise he just made. He gave him a quick kiss to the forehead, “Don't worry, this place is still so empty, there's no one sleeping in this wing of the castle,” he assured. He sat up to fetch a rag he kept near by when he freshened up in the mornings, looking down at the absolute mess Hubert was, covered in both of their spent and now a bite mark that had blood pin pricking its way to the surface. He winced seeing the wound he made, “Oh, Hubie, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bit down so hard,”

At this point, Hubert was barely awake, one of his charred looking hands waving it away dismissively before it flopped back onto the bed, “If you never do that again, I will be sorely disappointed,” he muttered.

“Duly noted,” Ferdinand said, grabbing the rag and wiping him off, as well as whatever mess got on himself. He awkwardly pulled Hubert's pants back up for him, tying his own back up. Part of him wanted to put his shirt back on, but had a feeling Hubert wanted it to stay off. He pulled the covers back over them both, pulling him close against his chest as he did when they first got tucked in. “Good night, Hubert,” he said, kissing the top of his head, only receiving a small noise of acknowledgment from him as he fell asleep. Ferdinand determined that despite their polarizing sleep schedules, he will see to it that they start sharing beds together, if only so they can spend just a few hours together alone, even if it was asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to do a lot of world building in this fic so I just have an established setting for next time I want to write this ship without having to explain each time, I hope it didn't bog everything down lol. Thank you for reading, my twitter account is @staroddity!


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